bass or electric guitar? Which rocks harder?

[whw5]

I am going to start playing either the bass or the electric guitar soon. I am having a very hard time choosing between the two. I love pounding Bass lines however I am concerned that there are not enough cool bass lines out there that would be good to play. I mean is there enough stuff out there to really pound it? I would also be playing jazz with it, and is there any difference between the bass in the orchristra and the electric one. I know that not a lot of people play base, is there a reason for this?
Also me and my friend are interested in starting up a band and would a base be a good thing to have in it. We like punk rock, like the vines, the hives, the darkness, red hot chillie peppers, ect. I also love playing guitar chords a lot however I am more interested in awsome intros and something to totally rock on. ANY help and recomendations, or sharing of experiences would be GREATLY appreciated. I have played trumpet for a while in my school band but I am looking for something more punk.

[chelka-poo]

BASS!!!!!
well, i'm kinda bias b/c i play it
but to tell you, bass rocks!
not enough people play it (it seems)
definately
guitar is so overdone
^_^
but it's really up to you
and there's nothing i love more than a jazz walking bass-line!
as to the difference between the upright and electric
they have the same notes and same intervals, but the upright is harder
(in my personal opinion)
as to why i play the bass
my dad does it as his job, so ive grown up with it
^_^
hope i could help!

[MattG]

BASS!!!!!
well, i'm kinda bias b/c i play it
but to tell you, bass rocks!
not enough people play it (it seems)
definately
guitar is so overdone
^_^
but it's really up to you
and there's nothing i love more than a jazz walking bass-line!
as to the difference between the upright and electric
they have the same notes and same intervals, but the upright is harder
(in my personal opinion)
as to why i play the bass
my dad does it as his job, so ive grown up with it
^_^
hope i could help!
I play guitar, but I would love to buy a bass one day. Nothing rocks harder than a really great bass line...

[topherko]

I would certainly suggest that you learn to play the bass.

A good bass player is much harder to find than a good guitar player. If you are a good bass player you will have your choice of bands and groups to play with whenever you want. If you need proof, check out your local musicians wanted classifieds and see what people are looking for. There is no question that the demand for a good bass player is enormous.

As for the type of lines you will play - that is up to you. There may not be a ton of great ones out there, but that means there is plenty of room to contribute your own.

btw I play the bass too. I have developed into a semi-decent guitar player over the last couple of years based on my experience/knowledge from playing the bass. So just because you start out with one doesn't mean you can't learn the other too.

[WinterMute]

Bass is easy to play, but very, very difficult to play well, all great bands have great drummers and bass players, but not all have great guitarists.... ;)

There is nothing on this planet that you can do with your clothes on that beats plugging my Warwick 5-string into my Ampeg SVT3 and hitting the B-string..... That really makes my trousers flap. :D :D :D :cool:


Bass rocks, it rocks hard.

[raythemoneyman]

Do you want to make money in the music business.....Learn to play bass. Of course I mean really play bass. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a guitar player. Good bass players are a different story. Don't be fouled though, the bass is much more difficult to master. Believe me after playing for a couple of weeks your girl will be saying "hey that hurts"! :p

The bass is the Harley Davidson of the music world. If you don't know what I mean ask your girl friend.


http://www.tucsonbassplayer.blogspot.com

[ShaneR]

I would go with the bass as well...I play guitar and any chance I get to play my friends bass i go for it. Maybe it's just cause I don't play bass 24/7 it seems like so much fun, but I don't know....

Orrrr you could go for both :cool:

[benlangdon]

I play guitar, but I would love to buy a bass one day. Nothing rocks harder than a really great bass line...

heck i got a 5 string fender something or other, with custom pickups and something else was done to it.
my dad bought it for me and i played it like 5 times.

truth be told, its really hard to tell what you want to play unless you start playing it. i took like a month of bass lessons and hated it.
i play drums now and utterly love it.

also, it sounds like you might be able to play but if you can't, do not think your going to be able to melt faces or anything.

frankly if i were to choose again on either bass or guitar, i would def go guitar and even though i love playing drums, melting faces on guitar is agg. so is sweeppicking, i utterly love it.

here are some really funny guitar videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hywld4xFHiM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evTTHS9hwvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pJ1ccnC1GI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKMYeXkYcgs
when ever i shred i just kill people, ya, its pretty agg.
and when i power up these two center coils, i enter kill zone mode.

[Schtumple]

Guitar easily rocks harder than a bass, I play both and rarely find myself saying, "god I really want to do a 12 minute bass solo" :rolleyes:

[Scarlet Fever]

If you want to be known, learn guitar. If you want to be cool, learn bass.

There are some brilliant bass lines out there; have a listen to some Rage Against The Machine or Tool for some examples. RHCP have some pretty awesome bass lines, but they can be painfully complex.

For some good punk bass lines, have a listen to some old AFI stuff, in particular, the albums Answer This And Stay Fashionable and Very Proud Of Ya. Their old bassist was really slippery, putting in bass runs where you wouldn't expect them. Their current bassist, Hunter, used to be brilliant, but I think AFI's change in sound has forced him to hide his talent.

If you wanna hear some mind-twistingly good bass lines, have a listen to some Weather Report, Dream Theater, Yes, Iron Maiden and Victor Wooten.

I've been playing bass for about 5 years now, and I still love it. I wouldn't give it up for any other instrument.

Guitar easily rocks harder than a bass, I play both and rarely find myself saying, "god I really want to do a 12 minute bass solo" :rolleyes:

i thought that was a good argument not to learn guitar ;)

[Keebler]

I was at a Melissa Etheridge concert recently and when she was introducing her bandmates, she said something very interesting:

along the lines of: "...plays our bass and it's the type of instrument that doesn't get alot of shine or hype, but when it's gone, you NOTICE it."

both are great. you've got a hard choice.

[kixsand]

The answer is subjective and only you can answer it. Some people really connect with the underlying structure of the song -- the beat or the bass line or both. Others hear the melody of voice or guitar. Which are you? What rocks for you?

Bass players dont get laid nearly as often as guitar players...it has been proven time and time again. See Here (http://www.wikipedia.org/).

Consider these two points and make a decision.

:-)

Darren

[Scarlet Fever]

I was at a Melissa Etheridge concert recently and when she was introducing her bandmates, she said something very interesting:

along the lines of: "...plays our bass and it's the type of instrument that doesn't get alot of shine or hype, but when it's gone, you NOTICE it."

I had a moment like that when I was in a band a few years ago. The guitarist said bassists never had a major role in the sound, so I stopped playing for a song. Afterwards, he was saying that the band's sound was really hollow and empty without me playing.

Bass players dont get laid nearly as often as guitar players...it has been proven time and time again. See Here (http://www.wikipedia.org/).
its quality that matters, not quantity ;)

[3rdpath]

I was at a Melissa Etheridge concert recently and when she was introducing her bandmates, she said something very interesting:

along the lines of: "...plays our bass and it's the type of instrument that doesn't get alot of shine or hype, but when it's gone, you NOTICE it."


his name is mark browne-he's a monster bassist and a super nice guy. i've hired him for sessions since i don't like to play while producing.

i'd choose bass over guitar any day. when people feel the groove of a song-they're feeling( for the most part...) what the bassist and the drummer do. guitarists need attention-bassists are just cool.;)

and as far as getting laid goes...if you're in a band and you're not getting any action, sadly it probably has nothing to do with your chosen instrument.

[noodle654]

Bass...I play both guitar and bass and I have to say bass is the hardest. Its easy to learn, but its hard to master. Nothing is better than a nice smooth bassline...just listen to what Flea, Marcus Miller, and Jaco Pastorious did with the bass!

[raythemoneyman]

Bass and Drums......everything else is fluff! ;)



http://www.tucsonbassplayer.blogspot.com

[rdp5008]

I think the bass is taken for granted. The guitar will make you look like a rock star and have panties thrown at you. I like the solid sound of a good bass jam though...

[benlangdon]

Bass and Drums......everything else is fluff! ;)



http://www.tucsonbassplayer.blogspot.com
guitar and drum, everything else is fluff
since when has there been a band with just a bassist and a drummer.

[ZiggyPastorius]

Well, bass is my instrument and far superior in my opinion...but if your only concern is "rocking hard," then go guitar, as we don't need any more bad bassists thinking they're guitar players. :p

Bass...I play both guitar and bass and I have to say bass is the hardest. Its easy to learn, but its hard to master. Nothing is better than a nice smooth bassline...just listen to what Flea, Marcus Miller, and Jaco Pastorious did with the bass!

Could not have said it better myself, my friend.

Guitar easily rocks harder than a bass, I play both and rarely find myself saying, "god I really want to do a 12 minute bass solo"

Why not? Do you not realise how hard it is for a bass player to solo, especially for that long, and have people be impressed? Christ, you can play some Green Day guitar licks and people will be impressed these days..Nobody ever stops to look at some of the amazing things Jaco Pastorius did on the bass. They just see who can play a generic shredding riff on their guitar.

Plus, the argument works both ways. If I had a CD of just Jaco playing his bass lines with no other instruments, every single song he ever wrote/performed...I'd rather listen to that than even a thirty-second guitar solo.

[erikistired]

the guitar if you want normal people to notice you.
the bass if you want knowledgeable people to notice you.

honestly i love playing both, but there's just something more fun about the bass that i don't get playing my guitar.

[Dmac77]

Guitar of course! I'm biased though, I play in a band. IMO the guitar gets more interesting parts then the bass, and also I think that its sound is just more noticeable.

Whatever you choose, don't play with distortion turned on when you first start, everybody sounds good with distortion.

Don

[bartelby]

Bass.

Without the low end music tend to be thin.

[Victor ch]

I "play" (starting to) the bass, so yeah, bass rules. IMO it gives the depth and warmth to some music. Both are extremely nice, I like bass the most, others will say the same about the guitar. Its up to you man.

Victor

[Queso]

Neither. Learn to play the keyboard.







Just kidding :p

[mannix87]

I play both but I'm a little more biased towards bass guitar. its sound is more fundamental and essential to a tune's sound spectrum. :cool:

[remmy]

It not the instrument, but how you play :p

[scotty96LSC]

Bass.
And I like female bass players, especially if they look like the bass players from Stellastarr* or Sick Puppies.

[jv17]

for me it depends, it depends to the guitarist how he rocks the guitar..

[TwinCities Dan]

You could always try one of these puppies...They kinda rock...:rolleyes: :p

[Insulin Junkie]

You could always try one of these puppies...They kinda rock...:rolleyes: :p

I'm glad you said *kinda* xD That thing looks like a sweaty old hair metal band should be playing on it. :o

@OP: Bass has my vote.

[gusious]

Well i play the guitar but learning to play bass is really nice too.

You should learn whichever fits good to your ear.Do not get confused about "ok but what will i be able to play with this?".

They are both hard to master...I mean just listen to Al Di Meola,John MacLaughing and Paco de Luchia(if i wrote their names well:rolleyes: ).

Boy,they are THE best ever!!If you can master guitar in that way they do then you are a natural! But believe me... It's hard...


Remember,whichever you are going to learn you'll never regret it!;)

[TwinCities Dan]

I'm glad you said *kinda* xD That thing looks like a sweaty old hair metal band should be playing on it. :o

@OP: Bass has my vote.

What do you mean, this isn't cool? ;)

[mannix87]

You could always try one of these puppies...They kinda rock...:rolleyes: :p

OMG! ha ha. I had one of those 20 years ago. got it on sale from Yamaha. those were cool then. :D

[raythemoneyman]

The answer is subjective and only you can answer it. Some people really connect with the underlying structure of the song -- the beat or the bass line or both. Others hear the melody of voice or guitar. Which are you? What rocks for you?

Bass players dont get laid nearly as often as guitar players...it has been proven time and time again. See Here (http://www.wikipedia.org/).

Consider these two points and make a decision.

:-)

Darren


Bass players don't need to look to get laid. It's already taken care since they know how to "keep the bottom"....Guitardist are always having to look and look and look. LOL :p

[stomplex]

That's a trick question but the real answer is:

They both Rock Balls! :cool:

As a bass player, you will be in high demand!

As a guitar player you will be one of many so you will need to distinguish yourself from the rest!

Either endeavor is a rewarding one.:D

[63dot]

Bass is easy to play, but very, very difficult to play well, all great bands have great drummers and bass players, but not all have great guitarists.... ;)

There is nothing on this planet that you can do with your clothes on that beats plugging my Warwick 5-string into my Ampeg SVT3 and hitting the B-string..... That really makes my trousers flap. :D :D :D :cool:


Bass rocks, it rocks hard.

I think of all the classic rock instruments, and bass is the hardest of all to master, yet the easiest to learn for top 40. I play guitar but tried bass for a couple of years in the '80s.

Try and do Chris Squier of Yes, Paul McCartney in his Wings period, and John Taylor of Duran Duran, and you will see how elegant and difficult bass can be in a rock setting. When you look at be-bop jazz, then it's up there with the tenor sax as for level of difficulty to play well.

Bass, unlike guitar, is likely to keep challenging you to a point you will never feel remotely satisfied with what you can do. Guitar is so much more forgiving and few try to become Joe Satriani or Segovia. Somehow, bass pushes you to go further and always improve. It is one of the cool things about that particular instrument. I have met so many guitar players who are relatively happy with their achievements, but rarely a bass player since it just goes on and on in many more styles dating back to baroque in a very visible way. Guitar has had periods where it was visible and not so visible as a main instrument.

[gnd]

Another thing to consider is there are more guitar player jokes than bass player jokes :)

[63dot]

Another thing to consider is there are more guitar player jokes than bass player jokes :)

There are a fair number of drummer jokes, too.

For some strange reason, from being in bands from '80-'99, I found that there are a lot of stupid drummers and guitarists. But for the most part, from my experience with maybe 20 or so bands, the bassists, and especially the keyboardists, were the brains of the band. And I am not talking about the key songwriters or leaders.

It would the be odd college student physics major playing keyboards, or the bassist who also was a music major and scored orchestras.

[dare-tl]

Bass...without a doubt.


Listen to Les Claypool from Primus and you will be convinced.

[63dot]

Bass...without a doubt.


Listen to Les Claypool from Primus and you will be convinced.

don't mention him

he's simply not human, he's a 16 core computer chip

[steviem]

You could always try one of these puppies...They kinda rock...:rolleyes: :p

Ah good choice, the GuitBoard :D

[Insulin Junkie]

What do you mean, this isn't cool? ;)

That one guy's cape convinced me... it's definitely cool.

(Which makes me glad I'm kinda uncool) ;)

[gavb]

ive played both and i would reccomend that u start on guitar and if u decide you dont like it then play bass. i made the mistake of going for bass first and when you try to play guitar then its much harder now i play both and love them both but i think bass is better

[bartelby]

Bass. I play both, but enjoy bass much, much more.

wintermute has it spot on.


I've just defretted a Warwick bass and learning to play fretless has opened up a whole new world.

[TwinCities Dan]

I've just defretted a Warwick bass and learning to play fretless has opened up a whole new world.

Wow, I didn't realize the age of this thread! :eek:

Your bass looks sweet, bartelby, congrats (nice work)! There will always be a lil' spot is my heart for the fretless bass. :cool:

[erikistired]

guitar probably rocks harder, but bass is more fun to play imho.

doh. i got trapped by the "don't look at the date, just notice it's near the top of the threads" but.

and i completely didn't notice i posted in this thread the first time around. 2 for 2 today!

[Belm]

I'm having the same dilemma. I don't know how to play either but I want to learn both eventually. I don't really want to join a band or impress anyone, I just love the way that they sound. I love a funky bass line as much as the next person, but I can imagine it would get kinda boring playing bass alone. I imagine playing guitar solo would be much more fun than playing bass solo. What to do? :)

[raythemoneyman]

Check out some early Victor Wooten CD's.....you'll change your mind about playing bass alone. :cool:

[LizKat]

I'm having the same dilemma. I don't know how to play either but I want to learn both eventually. I don't really want to join a band or impress anyone, I just love the way that they sound. I love a funky bass line as much as the next person, but I can imagine it would get kinda boring playing bass alone. I imagine playing guitar solo would be much more fun than playing bass solo. What to do? :)

Make friends with a pianist and a drummer, you're good to go. There is nothing on the planet more soul-stirring than a good walking bass line.